Asian Istanbul
I was so excited to see the Asian side of Istanbul. For just a few Turkish Liras, my dream came true as we boarded the locals' ferry to Uskudar. The ride took just a few minutes and there I was.
Unlike Istanbul in Europe, the Asian side looks very suburban and is full of locals. You hardly see tourists here. We did walk around to get a feel of the place. There were stores galore and much to my delight, a rug and carpet store where I was able to buy two Turkish rugs for less than $50.
Upon arrival, we saw lots of kiosks that sold kebabs with rice for a very small amount. Mind you, we were very tempted to buy lunch from one of the stalls by the waterfront, but, fortunately, we found a sit down restaurant more in the downtown area away from the ferry terminal where we ate some delicious chicken kebabs with rice and fries. The total for that lunch, 24 Turkish Liras! Less than US$5 folks. Sooo inexpensive.
This was the mosque we saw by the waterfront, the Mirimah Sultan Mosque.
This was the other mosque, the Yeni Valide Mosque.
A local park and square
A photo op to remember my trip to the Asian side by!
Sweets stores were everywhere in Istanbul. This was one in the Asian side that sold cakes instead of the Turksih delights and baklava.
This gold store reminded me of Dubai. I suppose many Turks invest their money in gold too just like many people in the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East.
One store that sold children's toys. It was so colorful I just had to take a picture. Worried that I would offend people by randomly taking pictures, I approached the lady you see in this post and asked her permission to shoot and take pictures. She agreed right away without any hesitation.
A local restaurant serving seafood! We didn't eat here though. Must have been nice.
This was the store that sold rugs and carpets. We went inside and everything sold was made in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan or Central Asia. It was sheer delight shopping in this store. I bought two rugs, one for 100 Turkish Liras (US $20)and another one for 160 TL (US $28). I was just floored when the lady told me the prices and I was able calculate the equivalent in US dollars. There was just no comparison to the prices in the Grand Bazaar which could go up to the thousands.
I do need to state that the rugs I bought were made of acrylic and not silk. The lady vendor also reminded me that the rugs I was purchasing were machine made. The designs were so beautiful though. So, so beautiful. Who cares if they were not made by hand. The make was of high quality. Truth to tell, I just wanted one as a souvenir, something to remind me of the wonderful trip I made to Turkey. Being able to buy two was a blessing. By the time we left Turkey for Madrid, I had likewise purchased five woolen pillow cases for US$4 a piece in Sultahnamet. More about that purchase on my post about the Grand Bazaar.
To be honest, I have no space for more rugs in my San Francisco condo, but, I plan to buy more rugs from this store if and when I return to Istanbul in the future.
This is one sweets store that has branches all over Istanbul. It is highly recommended by the way in many guide books.